OUTDOOR IDAHO Heads to "The Foothills"

OUTDOOR IDAHO heads for the hills -- the Boise Foothills -- for a close-up look at the natural backdrop for Idaho's capital city and Statehouse, which provides identity, recreational access, a home for wildlife, and open spaces.

"It is exciting to tell the story about Boise's backyard," says IdahoPTV producer Joan Cartan-Hansen. "The Foothills mean many things to many people but almost everyone agrees they are a treasure worth exploring and preserving. This OUTDOOR IDAHO episode just begins to tell the Foothills' story."

The show airs Thursday (June 14) at 8:00/7:00 p.m. MT/PT and repeats Sunday, June 17, at 7:00 p.m. MT/PT on IdahoPTV's main channel. "The Foothills" also airs several times through Wednesday (June 20) on the Plus and World subchannels and is available after the Thursday premiere to stream online at idahoptv.org and on the PBS app for iOS devices.

The episode relates some of the area's history of the past half-century, which includes devastating mud slides, interagency agreements, foothills development and the growth of recreational use. People who brought Hulls Gulch to the community's attention and worked on Boise's 2001 levy proposal point out the results when individuals, private businesses and governments work together. Today, with the help of the levy, there are 10,000 acres of public open space and 135 miles of trails for recreational use.

On the foothills' trails, OUTDOOR IDAHO's cameras join people who mountain bike, run and walk, follow wildflower seasons, and just climb a hill to watch the moon rise. Others teach children about the outdoors, wildlife, recreational opportunities and more using the Boise Foothills as a classroom.